System for providing tunable parameters to control distribution in a digital media distributor

Abstract

Aspects for providing tunable parameters to control distribution in a digital media distributor system are described. A digital media distributor (DMD) with tunable control of digital media data transmission aspect includes a distribution network, a central site system, and a plurality of remote site systems. The central site system utilizes a plurality of designated control parameters, including uplink parameters, scheduler parameters, and storage parameters, for controlling distribution of digital media data. The plurality of remote site servers receive digital media data transmissions from the central site server via the distribution network according to the designated control parameters.

1 . A system for controlling insertion of a plurality of local spots into a program feed, the system comprising:
 a central site server located at a central control site; and   one or more remote site servers located at one or more corresponding remote sites relative to the central control site,   the central site server distributing the plurality of local spots, prior to playout of the program feed, from the central site server to the one or more remote site servers,   the central site server sending a plurality of control parameters from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers, the plurality of control parameters including one or more parameters specifying requirements for availability of the local spots on the central site server to the one or more remote servers to allow playout of the local spots,   the central site server transmitting the program feed from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers,   each of the remote site servers automatically switching between playout of the program feed and playout of each local spot in accordance with the plurality of control parameters received from the central site server located at the central control site, and   the control parameters including a playtime lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement before the scheduled playout of a local spot at which time each of the remote site servers checks to report to the central server a local spot missing at the remote site server.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the program feed comprises one of a cable feed or a network feed; and   each local spot comprises one of local advertising or a local announcement.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the central site server is in communication with each of the remote site servers through a plurality of types of distribution network links, wherein the program feed is transmitted via one type of network link, and the local spots are distributed via a different type of network link. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein one of the types of network links is a terrestrial link and the other of the types of network links is a satellite link. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein sending a plurality of control parameters includes sending uplink parameters, scheduler parameters, and storage parameters for controlling distribution of the program feed and the plurality of local spots from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers through the distribution network. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the uplink parameters include one or more of an uplink broadcast transmission, an uplink forward, or an uplink look-ahead;   the scheduler parameters include one or more of a transmission lookahead window, a staging lookahead window, a station in a box (SIB) playtime lookahead window, an SIB spot high water mark, an SIB spot low water mark, a searchable length of transmit queue, a searchable length of a staging queue, a playlist transmission lookahead, a minimum transmit time, an SIB timeout limit, a history retention period; and   the storage parameters include one or more of playlist entries, purgelist entries, a playlist retention period, a purgelist retention, a dead on arrival (DOA) retention period.   
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the control parameters include a staging lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement prior to a scheduled playout of each of the local spots at which time the local spot must be staged on the central site server for reception by the one or more remote site servers. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the control parameters include a minimum transit time parameter that indicates a minimum transit time needed to transmit a particular one of the local spots to one or more remote site servers, such that when the remote site servers determine that a time until a next scheduled playout of the particular local spot is less than the minimum transit time, the local spot is considered to be dead. 
   
   
       9 . A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable medium for controlling insertion of a plurality of local spots into a program feed through a central site server located at a central control site, the product comprising instructions to cause a programmable processor to:
 prior to playout of the program feed, distribute the plurality of local spots from the central site server to one or more remote site servers located at one or more corresponding remote sites relative to the central control site;   send a plurality of control parameters from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers, the plurality of control parameters including one or more parameters specifying requirements for availability of the local spots on the central site server to the one or more remote servers to allow playout of the local spots; and   transmit the program feed from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers,   wherein the product further comprises instructions for each of the remote site servers to automatically switch between playout of the program feed and playout of each local spot in accordance with the plurality of control parameters received from the central site server located at the central control site,   wherein the control parameters include a playtime lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement before the scheduled playout of a local spot at which time each of the remote site servers checks to report to the central server a local spot missing at the remote site server.   
   
   
       10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the program feed comprises one of a cable feed or a network feed; and   each local spot comprises one of local advertising or a local announcement.   
   
   
       11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the central site server is in communication with each of the remote site servers through a plurality of types of distribution network links, and wherein the program feed is transmitted via one type of network link, and the local spots are distributed via a different type of network link. 
   
   
       12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein one of the types of network links is a terrestrial link and the other of the types of network links is a satellite link. 
   
   
       13 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions to send a plurality of control parameters include instructions to send uplink parameters, scheduler parameters, and storage parameters for controlling distribution of the program feed and the plurality of local spots from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers through the distribution network. 
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the control parameters include a staging lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement prior to a scheduled playout of each of the local spots at which time the local spot must be staged on the central site server for reception by the one or more remote site servers. 
   
   
       15 . The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the control parameters include a playtime lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement before the scheduled playout of a local spot at which time each of the remote site servers checks to report to the central server a spot missing at the remote site server. 
   
   
       16 . A digital media distributor (DMD) for controlling insertion of a plurality of local spots into a program feed, the digital media distributor (DMD) comprising:
 a central site server located at a central control site to distribute the plurality of local spots to one or more remote site servers located at one or more corresponding remote sites relative to the central control site, the plurality of local spots being transmitted from the central site server prior to playout of the program feed, the central site server to further send a plurality of control parameters to each of the one or more remote site servers and transmit the program feed to each of the one or more remote site servers, the plurality of control parameters including one or more parameters specifying requirements for availability of the local spots on the central site server to the one or more remote servers to allow playout of the local spots; and   one or more of the remote site servers, each of the remote site servers to automatically switch between playout of the program feed and playout of each local spot in accordance with the plurality of control parameters received from the central site server located at the central control site,   the control parameters including a playtime lookahead window parameter that sets a time period requirement before the scheduled playout of a local spot at which time each of the remote site servers checks to report to the central server a local spot missing at the remote site server.   
   
   
       17 . The digital media distributor (DMD) of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the program feed comprises one of a cable feed or a network feed; and   each local spot comprises one of local advertising or a local announcement.   
   
   
       18 . The digital media distributor (DMD) of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of types of distribution network links through which the central site server is in communication with each of the remote site servers, and wherein the program feed is transmitted via one type of network link, and the local spots are distributed via a different type of network link. 
   
   
       19 . The digital media distributor (DMD) of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of control parameters includes uplink parameters, scheduler parameters, and storage parameters for controlling distribution of the program feed and the plurality of local spots from the central site server to each of the one or more remote site servers through the distribution network, and wherein the control parameters include a time window limit parameter that sets a time period requirement prior to a scheduled playout of each of the local spots at which time the local spot must be staged on the central site server for reception by the one or more remote site servers.